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Stefan LM, Isbert W, Gómez-Díaz E, Mironov SV, Doña J, McCoy KD, González-Solís J. Diversity and structure of feather mite communities on seabirds from the north-east Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4793. [PMID: 36959235 PMCID: PMC10036324 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30858-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The richness and structure of symbiont assemblages are shaped by many factors acting at different spatial and temporal scales. Among them, host phylogeny and geographic distance play essential roles. To explore drivers of richness and structure of symbiont assemblages, feather mites and seabirds are an attractive model due to their peculiar traits. Feather mites are permanent ectosymbionts and considered highly host-specific with limited dispersal abilities. Seabirds harbour species-rich feather mite communities and their colonial breeding provides opportunities for symbionts to exploit several host species. To unravel the richness and test the influence of host phylogeny and geographic distance on mite communities, we collected feather mites from 11 seabird species breeding across the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Using morphological criteria, we identified 33 mite species, of which 17 were new or recently described species. Based on community similarity analyses, mite communities were clearly structured by host genera, while the effect of geography within host genera or species was weak and sometimes negligible. We found a weak but significant effect of geographic distance on similarity patterns in mite communities for Cory's shearwaters Calonectris borealis. Feather mite specificity mainly occurred at the host-genus rather than at host-species level, suggesting that previously inferred host species-specificity may have resulted from poorly sampling closely related host species. Overall, our results show that host phylogeny plays a greater role than geography in determining the composition and structure of mite assemblages and pinpoints the importance of sampling mites from closely-related host species before describing mite specificity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Stefan
- Institut de Recerca de La Biodiversitat (IRBio), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Splaiul Independentei 296, 060031, Bucharest, Romania.
- Université de Montpellier- CNRS-IRD, UMR MIVEGEC, 900 Rue Jean-François Breton, 34090, Montpellier, France.
| | - Wolf Isbert
- Unidad de Zoología Marina, Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Parc Científic, Universitat de València, PO Box 22085, 46071, Valencia, Spain
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Elena Gómez-Díaz
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Av. del Conocimiento 17, 18016, Granada, Spain
| | - Sergey V Mironov
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Embankment 1,, 199034, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Jorge Doña
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1816 S. Oak St., 61820, Champaign, IL, USA
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Univerdidad de Granada, Avenida de Fuente Nueva S/N, E-18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Karen D McCoy
- Université de Montpellier- CNRS-IRD, UMR MIVEGEC, 900 Rue Jean-François Breton, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Jacob González-Solís
- Institut de Recerca de La Biodiversitat (IRBio), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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Antaky CC, Conklin EE, Toonen RJ, Knapp IS, Price MR. Unexpectedly high genetic diversity in a rare and endangered seabird in the Hawaiian Archipelago. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8463. [PMID: 32071808 PMCID: PMC7007978 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabirds in the order of Procellariiformes have one of the highest proportions of threatened species of any avian order. Species undergoing recovery may be predicted to have a genetic signature of a bottleneck, low genetic diversity, or higher rates of inbreeding. The Hawaiian Band-rumped Storm Petrel ('Akē'akē; Hydrobates castro), a long-lived philopatric seabird, suffered massive population declines resulting in its listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2016 as federally Endangered. We used high-throughput sequencing to assess patterns of genetic diversity and potential for inbreeding in remaining populations in the Hawaiian Islands. We compared a total of 24 individuals, including both historical and modern samples, collected from breeding colonies or downed individuals found on the islands of Kaua'i, O'ahu, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawai'i. Genetic analyses revealed little differentiation between breeding colonies on Kaua'i and the Big Island colonies. Although small sample sizes limit inferences regarding other island colonies, downed individuals from O'ahu and Maui did not assign to known breeding colonies, suggesting the existence of an additional distinct breeding population. The maintenance of genetic diversity in future generations is an important consideration for conservation management. This study provides a baseline of population structure for the remaining nesting colonies that could inform potential translocations of the Endangered H. castro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen C. Antaky
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Emily E. Conklin
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, HI, USA
| | - Robert J. Toonen
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, HI, USA
| | - Ingrid S.S. Knapp
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, HI, USA
| | - Melissa R. Price
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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